Bag closure



y J. A. FINEGAN 2,041,239

BAG CLOSURE Filed Jan. 19, 1935 b Fig-5 Z/V l /1/5 A TU m/EK Patented May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The Raymond Bag Company,

Middletown,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 19, 1935, Serial No. 2,484

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a bag and more particularly to the method and means for closing the open end of a bag.

Bags of paper or like material, and of large size,

are extensively used for packing and shipping commodities of various kinds, including finely divided or powdered materials, such as cement, lamp black or the like. A bag of this kind is preferably of such a character that when filled and closed it will form a relatively thin and substantially rectangular package, having substantially fiat side walls, so that a plurality of bags may be stacked one upon the other and the individual bags may be easily handled. Prior to being filled the bag is in a fiat or collapsed condition with its lower end tightly closed, and is provided at its upper end with a filling opening. In some cases the upper end of the bag is tightly closed exceptfor a valved filling opening at one corner of the bag. In other cases the entire upper end of the bag is left open until the bag has been filled and is then closed, as by stitching or pasting tape over the edges of the bag walls.

Neither type of bag is entirely satisfactory when used with very fine materials. When the valved bag is used with such materials the valve will not always close sufiiciently tight to prevent leakage about the valve and throughthe filling 30 opening. Further, the valve corner of such a bag is diagonal and this is objectionable. When the open ended bag is used the upper edges of the bag walls must be brought together and sealed after the bag is filled. This not only requires considerable time but it is often difiicult to efiect a tight closure which will prevent leakage.

The present invention is a departure from both the above mentioned types of bag and one object of the same is to provide a means and method 40 whereby the filled bag may be quickly and easily closed and tightly sealed.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a closure and method which will enable the bag to be easily filled and which will provide a filled bag of uniform rectangular shape without the diagonal corner.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a. closure which will be inexpensive in construction and application.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the same is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is aside elevation, partly broken away, of an empty collapsed bag embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the upper end of such a. bag, showing the sealing member applied thereto prior to the filling of the bag; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the upper end of the bag showing the filling spout inserted; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5 3; Fig. 5 is ,a side elevation of the upper end of the filled bag showing the sealing member finally and completely attached thereto; and Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

In the drawing I have illustrated one embodil0 ment of theinvention and have shown the same as applied to a paper .bag of a well-known construction but it will be understood that the invention may take various forms and may be applied to bags of various constructions. 15

In the particular embodiment here illustrated the bag I is of the ordinary tubular type having its lateral edges plaited, as shown at 2, so that they may be folded inwardly between the side walls 3 of the bag when the latter is collapsed 20 or in its fiat condition prior to being filled. When such a bag is filled the plaited or folded edge portionsr thereof are extended to approximately right-angles to the side walls and then form the edge walls of the bag. In closing such a bag 25 after it has been filled the upper portions of the edge walls are tucked in between the side walls and the side Walls moved inwardly into contact one with the other and with the inwardly folded portions of the edge walls and then attached one plies of material. In the present instance I have shown the bag as comprising two piles of material.

While the bag is in its fiat or collapsed condition a sealing member, such as a strip or tape 4, of paper or other suitable-material, is folded over the upper edge portions of the side walls of the bag with its lateral edges in overlapping engagement with the respective side walls and with its central longitudinally creased portion in close contact with the upper ends of the side walls. This sealing member is of 'a length not less than the width of the bag and'usually is of a length slightly greater than the width of the bag so that its ends will project short distances beyond the lateral edges of the bag. One end portion of the sealing member or tape is pasted to the side walls of the bag for a portion only of the length of the tape and of the width of the bag, as shown at 8, the other end portion of the tape being unattached to the bag and left free for movement toward or from the adjacent parts of the upper edge portions of the bag walls, as shown at 9. Preferably the tape is pasted to the bag walls for something more than half of its length so as to leave a relatively short part of the upper edge portions of the side walls unconnected at one edge of the bag.

The tape may be so applied to the bag walls by hand or by suitable machinery. For example, the ordinary bag sewing machine, on which the ends of the side walls of the bag are usually stitched, may be utilized for this purpose by removing the needle and causing the paste to be applied to predetermined portions only of the tape before it is folded about the end of the bag, the presser foot of the sewing machine serving to press the tape into firm contact with the side walls and effect cohesion.

With the tape so applied to the bag the latter goes to the filling machine and the operator then moves the free or unpasted end of the sealingtape away from the adjacent parts of the upper edges of the bag, folding the same rearwardly as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and separates the unconnected parts of the side walls, as shown in Fig. 2, and inserts the filling spout 6 in the filling opening, thus formed, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The portions of the side walls which are left unconnected are of a size determined in part at least by the size of the filling spout, the arrangement being such that the filling spout can be easily inserted in the opening but will substantially fill the same. When the spout has been inserted the creased corners of the bag will project outwardly from the spout, as shown in Fig. 4, and by grasping these creased portions between his thumbs and fingers the operator can draw the bag walls tightly about the spout to form a tight closure.

When the bag has been filled it is removed from the filling spout, the upper end of the plaited edge wall adjacent to the filling opening 2 is tucked inwardly between the side walls, and the upper edge portions of the separated parts of the side walls are moved together to close the opening.

-The free end of the sealing tape is then folded down over these parts of the bag walls and having been previously creased will remain in overlapping relation thereto until it has been permanently attached to the bag walls. The free end of the tape may be attached to the bag walls in any suitable manner but preferably the tape is stitched to the side walls and to the inwardly folded portions 01 the edge walls, as shown at I in Fig. 5, this being accomplished by the same stitching which connects the two side walls one to the other, the tape being stitched to the bag walls throughout its length. Usually the filled bag is passed through a sewing machine to stitch the upper ends of the side walls thereof and that portion of the bag end to which the tape has been pasted forms a stiff guide which materially facilitates the insertion of the closed end of the-bag into the stitching mechanism, and after it has been inserted the stitching will proceed throughout the length of the tape.

In this manner I have provided a bag which can be very easily filled and handled during the filling operation and which when filled can be quickly and easily closed and the sealing member attached thereto, thereby providing a bag closure which has all the strength of an ordinary stitched closure with the addition of a perfectly tight seal which will prevent the seepage of material from the end of the bag. The free end of the sealing tapemay, of course, be pasted to the bag walls, after the bag has been filled, if so desired, but I find that this is not necessary because the creased portion of the tape contacts with the upper edges of the bag walls and is held firmly in contact therewith by the stitching.

' While I have shown one embodiment of my invention and have described one method of applying the closure I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details of either the construction or the method as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a bag comprising side walls having their end portions arranged in fiat contact one with the other to close the bag, a sealing member extending for the fullwidth of said bag and having its lateral portions folded over the contacting end portions of said'side walls, one end portion of said sealing member being pasted to those parts of said side walls adjacent to one lateral edge of said bag and the other end portion of said sealing member being movable out of and into overlapping relation to those parts of said side walls adjacent to the other lateral edge of said bag.

2. In' a bag comprising side walls having their end portions arranged in flat contact one with the other to close the bag, a sealing tape of a length at least equal to the width of the bag, having its lateral portions folded over the contacting portions of said side walls, said tape having sealing connection with both side walls from one lateral edge of said bag to a point beyond the center thereof and that portion of said tape adjacent the other lateral edge of said bag being free therefrom and'movable into and out of engagement therewith.

JOHN A. FINEGAN. 

